An examination of preservice science teachers’ representational modality preferences during computer-supported knowledge organization /Fen bilgisi öğretmen adaylarının bilgisayar destekli bilgi düzenleme sürecindeki gösterim türü tercihlerinin incelenmesi

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice science teachers’ preferences of representational modalities when they organize knowledge with multiple representations (MR) in an argumentation-based socioscientific issue context. In order to increase knowledge in this area of research, a three session lesson unit was designed on healthy eating subject. Preservice teachers organized their knowledge about healthy eating with a web-based knowledge organization system called iKOS. iKOS incorporates three distinct representation modalities: textual (Wiki), pictorial (Event), and Concept Map. In this paper, preservice teachers’ knowledge organization with MR that contributed to the knowledge base created through MR and the reasons for chosing specific type of representations to organize knowledge were investigated. A sequential mixed methods research design was employed. Data sources included logged iKOS statistics that reported the number of entries and the links between them; and an open ended questionnaire that included questions about the preservice teachers’ preferences and their use of MR. Social network analysis was employed to investigate the knowledge network. Results indicated that Wiki was the most created, and both Wiki and Concept Maps contributed to knowledge base more than Event. Open coding was employed to understand the underlying reasons for representational modality chocies of the preservice science teachers. Qualitative analysis results showed that the reasons for preservice teachers to choose specific type of representations were (a) the ease of representation construction, (b) creating multiple representations in one space, and (c) the appropriateness of using concept maps in learning socioscientific issues